Engine cross-head



' v2 sheets-sheen 1.

Patented Sept. 4, 14888.

D. P. WHITESELL.

BNGNB GROSS HEAD.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. P. WHITESELL.

E ENGINE GEOSS HEAD. No. 388,937. Patented Sept. 4, 1888.

` DAVID I). TNHITESELL, OF EL DORADO, OHIO.

ENGINE CROSSBHEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,937, dated September 4.-, 1888.

Application tiled October 13, 1887. Serial No. 252,241. (No model.)

To a/Z whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Davie P. WirrrnsnLr., a resident of El Dorado,in the county of Preble and State of Ohio, have invented certain nenr and useful Improvements in Engine Cross- Heads, of which the following is a specifica tion.

The object of my invention is, first, to overcomeoravoidthedead-centerofan engine crank or the crank of other driving-motors; second, to employ mechanical devices, so that power is applied nearly uniformly to the crank-pin during the entire portion of its revolution, instead of having` it progressively increase and decrease upon either side ot' the dead-centers.

I have represented it as adapted to be used with the piston of an engine, but do not limit myself to this use of my mechanical device.

The various features of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specitication,in which- Figurel is an elevation of my improvement att-ached to the piston-rod. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the reverse side of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the crosshead, showing the section of the pistourod in elevation. Fig. 4 is a section on line 1/ y, Fig. 8. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the cross-head and cam. Fig. 6 is a section on line mfc, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cam-guide. Fig. Sis atop plan view of Fig. 2.

A B represent end pieces of the frame; C D, side framepieces which serve as ways upon which the cross-head moves.

E represents the piston-rod of an ordinary engine. rIhis frame is suitably supported so that the piston-rod will move in a direct line with the axial plane of the cylinder, this frame serving as the ordinary crosshead guide or support.

F represents the cross-head, which is constructed so as to serve as a support to the remainingoperativeparts of the driving devices. The center of this erosshead is pierced with a double elliptical slot, l, in which is placed a cam, 2, of similar contour but of less dimension, so as to loe allowed to move freely back and forth in said slot. The periphery of the slot in the erosshead serves as a guide for the crank-pin a on one side, and the cam serves as a guide upon the opposite side of said cranks pin. Cain 2 is made to vibrate back and forth in the slot to allow the crank-pin c to pass around the same as it is driven oy the crosshead. To accomplish this movement and to g hold and support the cam in its proper relative plane, I provide the following device:

3 represents a U-shaped yoke, which is securely bolted at either end to the cross-head F, as shown in Figs. 5 and S. 4 represents a studpin projecting down from said yoke. 5 represents an oscillating arm which is journaled upon said stud 4.

6 represents a stud projecting through arm 5 and engaging with a guide-piece, 7. This guide is rigidly and securely attached to the cam 2, as shown in Figs. i and In order to move the cam from side to side alternately of the slot 1, I have provided the following instrumentalities:

8 represents a support, preferably arched or bent, and secured to the framepiece A B, lying longitudinally outside of the plane of the moving parts. 9 represents au arm projecting from said support laterally. I0 represents a stud-pin projecting inward from said arm. As the eross-head F is reciprocated past the point of said stud, the end of arm 5 engages therewith, turns upon its center, and moves the cam 2 within the camAslot l, changing its position from one side of the slot to the other, as illustrated by the dotted lines, Fig. 5, and when the arm is in the position shown in said dotted lines the reverse movement of the cross-head F changes it back to the position shown in Fig. 1. Thus the stud l() and the yarm 5 serve as puppets to move the cam 2.

This movement occurs when the crank-pin is in either ofthe positions shown in dotted lines a, Fig. 5, which movement takes place at the center line during the movement of the crosshead or stroke of the piston-rod.

c represents guides, and d represents slots in the crosspiece 7, fitting over said guides, so as to preserve the parallel movement of the cam.

When the crankpio arrives at its position shown in Fig. 2that is, to the central point of the cam and elliptical slot-it would be liable to reverse its movement and go backward instead of forward, in the direction indicated by the arrow, when it is on the central point at either side of the cam. To prevent this and to secure a continuous forward movement, I have provided central guide-pins, 11 12, which are made to reciprocate and come down behind the crank-pin a, one of which movements is illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the central guide 12 with its bevel-face behind the crank-pin a, which prevents its moving backward when the opposite central guide, 11, is retracted. These guides 11 12 are constructed andy reciprocated in the following manner: The crosshead F is bored out to receive these guides, which reciprocate longitudinally in said bores, as shown in Fig. 3. 13 represents the cylindrical portion of these guides. y 14 represents a gear, which is keyed in said guide-pins for the purpose of allowing them to be rotated half round to reverse the crank movement of the engine. These guides are reciprocated by means of compound lilik movements, l5 representing a link-arm pivoted at one end to the cross-head by stud 1G and at the other end to a second link, 17. To the opposite end of link 17 is pivoted a link, 18, the inner end of which engages in the annular slot 19, chased around the guides 11 12, as shown in Fig. 3. These links are operated by means of studs 2O 2l, placed at either end ot' the frame A B. The stud 21, striking the link 15, moves the links 17 18, which move the guide 12 inward in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the stud 2O moves the opposite links, 15 17 18, to move the center guide 11 inl ward.

In order to retract the guides 11 12, I have provided a guide, 22, which is supported in proper position, so that its ends will engage with the linkarms 15, to move them outward and retract the center guides, 11 12, alternately upon either side of the stroke. In order to reverse the movement of the crank, it is necessary that the center guides, 11 12, should be turned around one-half of a revolution, so as to come upon the opposite side of the crankpin, to compel the crank to turn around in the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrows. This I accomplish preferably by the following instrumentalities:

23 represents a crank-arm journaled upon the frame A B.

24 25 represent segmental gears rigidly se cured to a movable collar, 26, which is journaled so as to reciprocate longitudinally upon said cranlcrod. This crank-rod is preferably manysidcd, and the collar 26 provided with a similar-shaped opening, so as to reciprocate upon said crank-rod, and yet allow it to be turned to move the segmental gears which engage with the gears 14, cut upon the center guides, 1l 12.

27 represents a crank-arm rigidly secured to the crank-rod 23.

28 represents a segment, 29, a latch which engages in notches 30 3l, so as to hold the crank-arm rigidly in either position.

The movement of the crank-arm from notch 30 to 31 turns the segments 24 25 a sufficient distance to revolve the gears 14 one-half a revolution, reversing the faces of the points of the center guides, 11 12. Piston-rod E is shown as journaled in the frame-piece A, and it is connected rigidly to the crosshead F by means ofthe yoke 32.

The operation of my device is as follows: The piston-rod E is reeiprocated by means of steam or other motive agency reciprocating the cross-head, which is guided upon the side frame-pieces, C D. The periphery ofthe elliptical slot 1, formed in the cross-head, forces the cranlnpin aand the crank-arm G forward in the plane of its revolution, the crank G being keyed upon the main driving-shaft H to perform the work. When the crank-pin a arrives at the extreme outward limit of the slot 1 and beyond the point of the cam at the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5, the cam is moved to the opposite side of the slot 1 by means of the stud 10 and arm 5, as before explained, which compels the crank-pin a to move forward upon the opposite side of said cam in the way provided `for it by re. versing the position of the cam in the crosshead. As soon as the crank-pin a has come to the central line of the cross-head and piston, the center guide, 1l or 12, is brought forward by the means before described, so. that its bevel face will come in behind the crank-pin and compel it to travel forward to the opposite extreme outward movement of the crankpinin its position in the cross-head, when the cam is reversed by the instrumentality above described moving forward upon the opposite side of said cam. This reversal of the cam takes place when the cross-head F is at the central point of its lateral movement, and the inward movement of the `guide 12 takes place when the cross-head F arrives at its extreme lateral movement toward the framepiece B, and the guide is retracted when it commences to recede or move in the opposite direction. The center guide 11 is operated in like manner when the cross-head F is making the opposite end movement. Thus I am enabled, by means of the reciprocating cross-head F, to drive the crank by means of the cam, and the leverage power of the cam upon the crank-pin and crank-arm is very nearly equal through all portions of its path.

I claim- 1. The cross-head F, provided with the double elliptical slot 1, in combination with the double elliptical and intermittent reci pro eating cam 2, substantially as specied.

2. In combination with a crank-pin, the cross-head F, having a double elliptical slot, 1, and the double elliptical cam 2, supported within said slot and provided with shifting puppet devices for automatically moving sai'd cam from one side of said slot to the other at the central line of movement, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a cross-head frame, the cross-head F, provided with the double elliptical slot 1, the double elliptical cam 2, the

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puppet shifting devices attached to said cam, the crank G and crank-pin a, and the pistonrod E, attached to said erosshead, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a crank-pin and the cross-head F, provided with a double elliptical slot, l, ef the double elliptical cam 2, located therein, shifting,` puppet devices for automatically moving the cam from one side of the slot to the other, and intermittently-mein rocating center guides, l1 and l2, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a cranlepin and the cross-head F, provided with the cam-slot 1, of the shiftingcam 27 located therein, and

DAVID P. VHITESELL.

XVitnesses:

GEORGE S. Guns, FRANK L. FOX. 

